FORTH AND CLYDE NAVIGA TION. GLASGOW, Friday, July 30.. The important event of opening the Forth and Clyde Navigation from fea to fea took place on Wednesday, and was evidenced by the failing of a tract barge, belonging to the Company of Proprie tors, from the bason of the canal, near the city of Glasgow, to the river Clyde at Bowling Bay. The voyage, which is upwards of twelve miles, was performed in lefs than four hours, during which the veffel paffed through nineteen locks, defcended thereby 156 feet from the fummit of the Canal into Clyde. It required only four minutes to pass each of the locks, in which space the veffel defcended 8 feet into the reach of the navigation immediately below. In the courfe of the voyage from Glasgow to Bowling Bay, the tract boat, affed along that ftupenduous bridge the Great Aqueduct over the Kelvin, 400 feet in length, exhibiting to the fpectators in the valley below the fingular and new object of a vellel navigating seventy feet over their heads a feature of this work which gives it a pre-eminence over every thing of a fimilar nature in Europe, and does infinite honour to the profeffional skill of that able engineer Robert Whitworth, Efq; under whofe direction the whole of this great work has been completed in a very masterly manner. The Committee of Management, accompanied by the magiltrates of the city of Glasgow, were the firft voyagers up on this new navigation. On the arrival of the veffel at Boling Bay, and after defcending from the laft lock in the Clyde, the ceremony of the junction of the Forth and Clyde was performed, in prefence of a great crowd of spectators, by Archibald Spiers, Efq: of Elderflie, Chairman of the Committee of Manage ment, who, with the affiftance of the Chief Engineer, launched a hogfhead of water of the river Forth into the Clyde, sa fymbol of joining the eastern and Western feas together. This great event, fo important to the trade and navigation of Great Britain and Ireland, and particularly to the towns of Liverpool, Lancafter, Whitehaven, Greenock, Dublin, Newry, Drog heda, Belfaft, Londonderry, &c. on the one hand, and the towns of Lynn, Hull, Newcastle, Leith, Dundee, Aberdeen, &c. on the other, and alfa to all the ports in or near St George's Channel, in their trade to Norway, Sweden, and the Baltic, is now manifeft in a ftriking degree by the opening of the naviga tion, which not only fhortens the nauti-> cal diftance from 800 to 1000 miles, but also affords a more fafe and speedy paffage, particularly in the time of war, or at the end of the feafon, when veffels are detained long in the Baltic, and cannot attempt the round fea voyage without great danger of the cargo's pe rifhing, or the markets being loft by the detention. The extreme length of the naviga tion, from the Forth to the Clyde, exactly thirty-five miles; fifteen of which is upon the fummit of the country 156 feet above the level of the sea. To this fummit the voyager is raifed by means of twenty locks from the eaftern fea, and nineteen from the weft; each lock is exactly 20 feet wide, and 74 feet long within the gates, The depth of the Canal is precifely 8 feet throughout, and the medium width about 56 feet on the furface of the water, and 28 feet on the bottom. The toll dues payable upon the navigation is 2d. per ton for each mile, or 58. red. per ton for the extreme length of the Canal. About the diftance of nine miles from the entrance of the Canal, at Bowling Bay, and near the great Aqueduct over the Kelvin, there is a commodious dry dock for careening and repairing veffels, where every facility is afforded to fhip owners on very moderate terms. Upon the whole, it will generally be admitted that no public work finifhed in Great Britain, was ever fo complete in all its parts, or promifed fo many advantages to the trade of the country at large and upon few occafions has fuch general fatisfaction been expreffed on the approach of that period when the real uti lity of this fplendid undertaking is to be manifefted to the public. shefter, appointed Col of the 15th Regt. Light Dragoous, in roem of Lord Heathfeld, deceased. Henry James Pye, Efq; Poet Laureat to lis Majefty, in room of Mr Warton, decafed. Lieut. Col. William Dansey of the 33d. Lieut. Col. of the 49th Regt. of Foot, in room of Sir Henry Calder, Bart. Lieut. Col. Oliver de Laney, depute Adjutant General, in room of General Williamfon, promoted. Mr William Creech, Printer to the Uaiversity of Edinburgh. Edmund Eftcourt, Efq; Solicitor to the Stamp Office, in room of Gibbs Crawford, refigned. John Ord, Efq; Governor of Dominica, and a Capt. in the Navy, a Baronet of Great Britain. Marriages. Capt. Nugent of the Royal Navy, to the widow of Commodore Johnston. William Brown Tailor (who at fixpence a-day amaffed a fortune of 3ccol.), aged 68 years, to Mifs Sarrah Huftman, aged 26. Dr Coventry, Profeffor of Agriculture in the University of Edinburgh, to Mifs Haf tie, of Great Portland Street, London. The Moft Noble the Marquis of Graham, to Lady Caroline Montague, fister to the Duke of Manchester. Mr Dugald Steuart, Profeffor of Moral Philofophy in the University of Edinburgh, to Mifs Helen D'Arcy Cranston, daughter of the late Hon. George Cranfton. and Colonel of the 30th regiment of foot. Thomas Hutchon, Efq; Secretary to the Hurlfon Bay Company. The Rev. Mr Alexander Coull, at Edinkilly, Prefbytery of Forris. Lady Reay, Dowager of Donald Lord Reay. in the 73d year of his age, the Right Hon. Lord Heathfield, K. B. a General of his Majefty's forces, Governor of Gibraltar, and Colonel of the 15th Regi ment of Light Dragoons, which he rai fed in 1750, and which he has had the command of ever fince, being the only Regiment in Britain which never changed its Colonel. He is fucceeded by his fon F. A. Elliot, Colonel of the 6th Regiment of Dragoons, and Aid de camp to his Majefty. Suddenly on the race ground, the Rev. Mr Thomas Scot, fenior Minister of South Leith. Adam Smith L. L. D. and F. R. S. of London, and Edinburgh, one of the Com miffioners of his Majefties Cuftoms in Scotland, and formerly Profeffor of Moral Philofophy in the Univerfity of Glafgow. As an author, his works are in the highest reputation, and his Literary Character ftands amongst the first in Europe. Major-General Putnam, an American officer in the laft war. Mr Archibald Millar coach-builder in Canongate. The Rev. Mr George Abercrombie, one of the minillers in Aberdeen, aged 78 years. At Dundee in the 107th year of his age. James Peter, travelling packman. James Haig of Beamerfyde Efq; At Calcutta, Mr James Trotter youngeft fon of Thomas Trotter of Mortonhall, Efq; In Newgate, the Rev. Philip Withers, imprifoned one year for a libel on Mrs Fitzherbert. Lady Inglis of Cramond. Mr Archibald Campbell of Succouth, father to the Lord Prefident, and the oldeft Clerk to his Majefty's fignet, being admitted in 1728. Emanuel Mathies, Efq; the British Minifter at Hamburg. David Mitchel, Efq; formerly Captain of the Fox Indiaman. Lady Ann Paterfon, widow of Sir John Paterfon of Eccles, and daughter of the Eail of Marchmont. |